Children of the Damned

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How good is Children of the Damned on a scale of 1-10?

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    13
In with the new.

The first song we hear specifically written for Bruce. We get to hear his melodic singing, a little more aggressive tones. The lead guitar work is as good as it was in Killers, but this is the first time that Iron Maiden takes their collective foot off the gas a bit (excepting Strange World and Prodigal Son). Slow introduction, (very short) slow outro, a singalong whoaaah woaaah woaaah...this is the early Steve Harris prototype song.

We even get a nice drawn out Daaaaaaaaaamned at the end.

If this was written today, it'd be 7-9 minutes long. And probably better for it, as there's so many cool ideas in here that need exploring in more depth, but that sadly will never be. 9/10.
 
This is much more like it. I love the sombre tone, the quiet/loud transitions, the theme and most importantly of all, Bruce's vocals here, which quickly helps people forget about the previous track. The solo is also a personal favourite of mine.

8/10.

RTC's Maiden Ranking:
1: Phantom Of The Opera: 9/10
2: Killers: 9/10
3: Children Of The Damned: 8/10
4: Remember Tomorrow: 8/10
5: Murders In The Rue Morgue: 8/10
6: Purgatory: 7/10
7: Wrathchild: 7/10
8: Transylvania: 7/10
9: Prodigal Son: 6/10
10: Strange World: 6/10
11: Sanctuary: 6/10
12: Another Life: 6/10
13: Prowler: 6/10
14: Genghis Khan: 5/10
15: Iron Maiden: 5/10
16: Charlotte The Harlot: 5/10
17: Twilight Zone: 5/10
18: Drifter: 4/10
19: Running Free: 4/10
20: Innocent Exile: 4/10
21: Invaders: 3/10
22: The Ides Of March: 2/10
 
I really like this song. Bruce delivers some beautiful and emotional singing and the whole band is really tight.
I love how the solo fits the song - it is maybe one of the best Maiden solos in that regard.

There is nothing really wrong about this song, but it doesn't evoke the same feelings for me like their masterpieces. Still, this one gets a very high grade.

The highlight: Adrian Smith solo at 3:21.

9/10
 
9/10. I had a rough time not giving this one a 10, but I must save my 10's for my very favorites. Definitely a great song though! This song puts nearly every rocker that came before it to shame. I can't believe they pulled this one off in 1982.
 
10/10! Gosh, I'm giving too much 10s to this album and it's not even my favorite. But to me it would be a crime to give this song less than a 10... I just can't! Bruce's vocals alone deserves a 10! I cried the first time I heard this song and it still gives me shivers everytime I listen to it.
 
7. Very good song that gets better as it progresses.

Rankings:

Previous Albums:

1980 - Iron Maiden - 6.67

8 - Prowler
6 - Sanctuary
7 - Remember Tomorrow
6 - Running Free
9 - Phantom Of The Opera
7 - Transylvania
4 - Strange World
6 - Charlotte The Harlot
7 - Iron Maiden

1981 - Killers - 5.91

6 - The Ides Of March
6 - Wrathchild
6 - Murders In The Rue Morgue
5 - Another Life
5 - Genghis Khan
5 - Innocent Exile
8 - Killers
5 - Prodigal Son
8 - Purgatory
6 - Twilight Zone
5 - Drifter

1982 - The Number Of The Beast

6 - Invaders
7 - Children Of The Damned
 
10/10

Children of the Damned redeems the album from the nadir of Invaders. It is a gem of a song and a much better showcase for Bruce - his vocals range from a throaty mid-range during the verses into a full belt during the choruses. Acoustics and a mournful lead guitar wind into this compact epic, which sounds like Steve Harris finally achieving success with the powerful heavy ballad structure he attempted on the two previous albums. The transition halfway through the song is inspired and Adrian’s manic tapping solo fits nicely with the heightened energy. Children takes the listener on a journey and has the musical scope of a song twice its length. It’s one of the best songs here and an underrated classic.
 
Obvious homage to Sabbath here and a very good one. While Invaders already shows that Bruce is a step up from Paul as a vocalist, this is the one that really shows off his vocal abilities. There's also a hint at the proggier Maiden we'll see later. This song never gets redundant, everything is pushing forward. This is the definition of progressive. Also has easily one of the greatest climaxes in a Maiden song. The way the Bruce's voice intensifies as the guitars build up, epic. Very grim, dark song.

9
 
Absolutely epic.

I liked Paul but Bruce's performance on this track is way beyond anything Paul achieved.

The slow build to the immensely powerful chorus. Awesome. The crunching chords accompanying the vocals during the chorus blow me away. Then there's the quick tempo change and that blinding solo. Then the thrilling close. Brilliant

10
 
Love this song. It is first showcase of what an amazing singer Bruce is. Love how it erupts after a moody beginning. This song also showcases the first collaboration between Steve and Bruce (although the latter is uncredited). A true gem.

This is a masterpiece.

10/10
 
Children to me is the best song on the album.... Half the album is rubbish, other half is gold.... what a hard place to be...
 
Why the fuck did I place it so low on my list? This song is a damn masterpiece. That's a pun purposefully. Fucking 10/10.
 
Great song. Bruce’s voice really shines here for the first time, the changes in tempo are lovely, the solos are great. Glad they brought it back for the Book Of Souls. 9/10
 
Very dark, very heavy, and unlike anything Maiden had done up until then. The breakdown before the solos features some of the (if not the) most graphic lyrics ever written by the band, which only add to the song's heavy and creepy atmosphere. 9.
 
...ah, this is why Bruce was taken in so well by fans. Well, this is certainly a welcome change of pace. Acoustic guitars! Previously seen on Prodigal Son, they're back here to serve as a pretty introduction to a somber, depressing song about the gruesome death of a child. Wow, this works nicely! Of course, the song builds in tension and the entire second half is a despair-filled climax with a high tempo and some great solos. And the best part is...unlike what they would probably done on the newer albums, they don't end the song by returning to the acoustic guitar riff. No, they end it precisely where it should stop.

I haven't even talked about Bruce's vocal performance here. It's very, very good! Bruce truly proves his worth, after a shaky opener to say the very least. His belting on the chorus is great stuff and his stuff on the verses is good too. I wish he could have not belted every line, though. Ah, well, that's a minor nitpick and overall, this is a pretty great product.

8/10. It's a solid number and it gives off the sense of being bigger and lengthier than it really is. A mark of a well-crafted song. Well done, Maiden.
 
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